Dark area in vision- NOT FLOATERS

Hi there Barb, I'll just pop on into this thread as I've found it interesting and think we probably have a few things in common.

As we speak, I have a bit of a grey blob that only appears in my left eye..it is slightly to the left and down about an inch, and I really can barely notice it unless I am reading my computer, and even then it only shows itself when I am looking at contrasting colors.  

The best way to "check" for it is if I look at the black background of my monitor and right click to get that little white options box.  It's pretty vauge, it seems a bit smaller than a day ago, just a little eraser tip sized grey blob that blurs anything behind it.

I suffer from episodes of Scintillating Scotoma, or as I just call it SS.

I have since my late 30s and until now, age 41.

Identical to what you've described, typically triggered by too much computer or eyestrain, dehydration, excessive sugar ect.. starting as a blur, becoming a blind spot..usually on the right central side of my vision.  It will grow, then the light show begins, twinkling fortifications of jagged angled lights that start as a dot, quickly becoming a line and usually forming into a C shape or backwards C

That gets more intense, the blind spot growing with it, but most often just following its curved shape, the opening center of my vision returning while the C spreads and widens and eventually leaves the corners of my vision entirely, leaving me feeling lethargic and weak and generally "out of it"

I almost never get a headache afterward, these are almost always painless for me (yay!) but for about the next 24-48 hours I am highly sensative to light and sound and see many many after-images, most noticibly anything of high contrast..text, road signs..ect.

Re-hydrating seems to help ease the after images, I usually force water down.

However, this most recent one has resulted in something slightly different post-SS episode, as I said above I have a bit of a grey blob in the lower central field of my vision..and it /seems/ to just be in my left eye.

I really commend you on not "checking" it often, as I tend to do...I am very OCD, and the "checking" results in giving myself panic attacks and depressing me, as I live alone and 2k miles from any family >.>

Being this is the first time I've had this post-SS blob, it's triggered lots of anxiety in me.. and as a result I have scheduled a visit to the eye doctor in 2 days.

I am hoping it is nothing, and simply a different version of the Post-SS episode.

Bless us all, and I hope we find answers and resolutions.

Hi Barb,

That is good you are able to not focus so much on the visual disturbances you have had and that they seem to be decreasing. However, if you are still interested in getting an MRI done, I think it's a good idea to keep pressing the doctors about this. I know it's hard, as I have had the same exact experiences with doctors as you have had (where they don't take you seriously) and where one doctor even laughed at me about my condition. But within the last two years, I have learned through many exercise/nutrition classes within my Kinesiology major that when you know that something is not right, you have a right to fight to get the MRI. Doctors tend to steer away from MRIs, since they are one of the more expensive testing procedures and insurance companies are resistant in paying for them. But don't give up. Doctors cannot deny you this help.

I just wanted to give you some encouragement. :-)

Dear Barb,

I don't know if you've got it sorted out in the meantime, but what you describe sounds a lot like a phenomenon called scotoma (sometimes scintillating scotoma). It's not a problem of the eye itself, but of the visual cortex in the brain. You need to see a neurologist.

I have exactly the same problem. But the bad thing is I am 15 years old. And I have more floaters in my left eye than my Right. But the symptom u experienced are in my Right eye. I had also ocular migraine. My opthamologist seen my retina twice but hasn't found any thing bad like retinal detachment.     I am so worried some one please tell me wta I'm experiencing.

Hi, barb

It's been over a year since you started this discussion. Are you better? What's the diagnosis?

Appreciate a reply soon. Thank you very much

Chengster

6, March, 2018

Hey im 17 now but what your talking about is exactly what i might have.

Mine started when i was playing football with my step brother and step dad. My step dad threw the football and i couldnt see the football coming because a tree was in view. Football hits me on the head and i went to pick it up.

Maybe after 3 minutes getting hit in the head i started noticing a black spot in the middle of my view. And every second went by it got bigger and grew. I went inside and googled what was happening to me. NOTHING came up (this was 4 years ago) so i started to panic and maybe thought i was Dehydrated. Went back outside and played some more but the black thing was still there. I started to test around with it. And i dont remember why looking into the sun was a good idea but for some reason went away.

The next time it happned i was at a dentist appointment and right when i was done with my dentist appointment o went to go look at the sun and it went away.

If you ever get scared TRY LOOKING INTO THE SUN FOR ATLEAST 30 SECONDS. This is not a joke please reapond if this helps.

Hey Barb, glad to hear its all resolved! Just for your peace of mind, I've had this exact thing as well. When you look all the way to the side, up, down, a sort of black visual distortion arises. I'm not an opthalmologist but I am a medical student, and I think all you are seeing is your 'blind spot'. There are no rods and cones at this point on your retina as the optic nerve attaches there.Usually your bind spot is not perceivable as your brain edits the image, but as you become more aware of it sometimes you can see it. Basically, just to re-iterate, it is nothing to worry about. As you can see from the image the blind spot on your left retina is on the upper right hand side, but as our brain inverts the light that enters our eye it is in the mid-lower left hand side of the visual field. Hope this technical jargon helps!!

Moderator comment:I have deleted the links to the images as they were broken. Users can upload images directly to this site by using the icon at the top right of reply boxes.

Everyone be aware:

This un diagnosis situation has had me thinking a lot.

The main trigger for this to happen is stress. Period. 

Life only comes once, if there is no stress, this situation will deplete itself.   

Ive been experiencing the same exact symptom. Please let us know if you found what it was! My doctor says also my vision is perfectly fine.

Hey barb . How are you doing now ?

I have a similar problem in both eyes a dark area that gets bigger when i look to the right ,to the left or upwards i see it more clearly in low lights .. it's sometimes blue and sometimes greenish or brownish . Is it what you are experiencing ? If so i hope you're better . I am really concerned about it myself . Did u know what it was ?

I am 18